Ball-bearing door for show-cases, &amp; c.



fm1. 662,6l4.

'(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 27, |900. E. A. WENTWURTH.

` BALL BEARING DOOR FUR SHOW CASES, &c.

(Application led May 31, 1900.)

Unirse ,STATES PATENT Orricn.

EVERETT A. VENTVVORT'H, OF BAR HARBOR, MAINE.

BALL-BEARING DOOR FOR SHOW-CASES, SLC.

SEEIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,6 i4, dated November27, 1900.

Application tiled May 31, 1900l Serial No. 18,617. @l0 modell) To collwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EvERETT A. WENT- WORTH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bar Harbor, in the county of Hancock and State ofMaine, have invented a new and useful Ball-Bearing Door forShow-Cases,&c., of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in ball-bearing doors forshow-cases and the like.

The objects of the present invention are to improve the construction ofsliding doors, more especially the manner of mounting the same, and toprovide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one provided with arollerbearing and adapted to be readily removed from the frame in whichit isV mounted.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

1n the drawings, Figure l is an elevation, partly in sect-ion, showing asliding door arranged within a frame. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectionalview of the same, taken longitudinally of the door. Fig. 3 is a detailsectional view taken transversely of the door. Fig. 4 is a detailperspective view illustrating the construction of the casing and thearrangement ofthe balls relative to the groove.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all theligures of the dra win gs.

1 designates a sliding door arranged within a rectangular frame2,designed to form a portion of a show-case; but the improvements areapplicable to various otherl forms of sliding doors and may beadvantageously applied to bookcases and the like. The rectangular frame2 is provided at its top with a longitudinal groove 4, forming a way forthe reception of a tongue or projection 5, extending from the top sideof the door, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The bottom of the frame 2 isprovided with a longitudinal groove 6, removably receivinga longitudinalstrip or bar 7, which preferably projects above the bottom of the frame2 to form a longitudinal tongue to en gage a bottom groove 8 of thelower side of the door. The end 9 ofl the strip or bar 7 is designed toproject beyond the frame, so that the said strip or bar may be readilyremoved from the groove of the frame 2. The lower edge of the door isarranged adjacent to the upper edge of the bottom bar of the frame 2, asclearly shown in Fig. 1, and when the strip or bar is removed the doormay be readily taken out of the frame.

Within the lower portion of the door is mounted a casing 10, provided atits bottom with arms ll and having a longitudinal groove 12 extendingfrom the outer end of one arm to the outer end of the other arm, and theside walls of the groove are undercut to reduce the friction to aminimum. The casing, which is provided at its bottom with an openingcommunicating with the groove, is provided also with an ellipticalball-race 14,1eceivingaseries of friction-balls l5,which are adapted toproject through the opening 16 to engage the upper edge of the metal baror strip 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The body portion of the casingis elliptical, and a central longitudinal block or piece 17 is arrangedwithin the casing, being supported at its upper edge by ribs 18 andsecured to the sides of the casing by rivets or projec* tions 19, formedintegral with the block or piece and extending through perforations ofthe sides of the casing and headed at their outer ends. The lower edgeor face of the block or piece is grooved to receive the balls which bearagainst the same, and tliesaid bottom groove 2O conforms to theconfiguration of the said balls, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The arms orextensions are provided with openings for the reception of fasteningdevices for securing the casing to the door, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.One or more sets or series of balls may be provided for supporting asliding door, and they are preferably arranged near the ends thereof, asindicated in Fig. 1, and when the door slides longitudinally of theframe the balls will roll around the elliptical ways and will reduce thefriction to a minimum. The Lipper face of the central longitudinal blockor piece is dat and. its ends are rounded, and the distance between thetop of the casing and the upper face of the block or piece is greaterthan the diameter of the balls to permit the latter to move freely. Thecasing may be constructed in any suitable manner, and the upper ribs,which support the central block IOO or piece, may be cast-integral withthe sides of the casing or may be formed by grooving minimum and enablethe door to slide freely.

What I claim is- The combination of a rectangular frame provided Withopposite grooves and having an opening at one end communicating Withlone of the grooves, a sliding door provided at one side With a grooveand having means at 'the opposite side for engaging one of the groovesof the frame, a removable bar arranged in the other groove of the frameand extending into the groove of the door and passing through the saidopening and projecting beyond the frame and adapted to be readilyWithdrawn to permit the door to be removed, a casing arranged in arecess of the door and provided With grooved arms registering With thegroove of the door and receiving the bar, and balls arranged Within thecasing and adapted to bear against the bar, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EVERETT A. WENTWORTH.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. BUTTIMER, WILLIAM D. CRoWELL.

